Meet Our Advisors

He is responsible for developing and executing the operating plans for the company, including the firm's strategy, sales/marketing, finance and human resources. Mr. Adams brings several years of management consulting experience to his firm in the fields of general strategy, transportation, technology and the environment. He holds a B.A. in government from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School of Business.

He has been with the company since 1982 and is presently serving as an advisor (he prefers the title of coach). Originally hired as Assistant to the President, Bob held the positions of Vice President – Merchandising, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and was selected as the first non-family president of the business in 1994. He was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in 1996 and led the company through its first strategic planning process. Bob's previous retail experience was with Eastern Mountain Sports, a retail and catalog company. Bob is currently the chair of the Champlain College board of trustees, a trustee and chair of strategic planning for the Mark Skinner Library in Manchester, Vermont and recently concluded nearly ten-years of service to the Preservation Trust of Vermont. Past board associations also include the Vermont Institute of Science, the Orton Family Foundation and Long Trail School.

His firm has arranged over $1 billion in financing and has been (or is) an advisor to over 30 major utilities, the DOE, EPA, numerous trade associations, and dozens of business ventures. As a management consultant Bob helps major foundations and philanthropists maximize their environmental grant making. Catalyst is also the national financial advisor for the Environmental Protection Agency's EnergyStar energy efficiency program for all cities, counties, school districts and state governments in the United States. Catalyst is the financial advisor to the State of Delaware's Sustainable Energy Utility. In this role one of its responsibilities is to set up and manage a $12 million revolving loan fund for energy efficiency and renewable energy loans in the state.

He founded and managed three successful businesses, and served in senior management positions for Green Mountain Energy, Leading Energy, Inc. and Green Mountain Power Corporation. Prior to that he spent seven years as an educator, the last four of which he was responsible for founding and running a parent cooperative elementary school. Now he is in private practice as an Executive Coach and organizational development consultant (since 1994) and has developed and led management training programs for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and not-for-profits. He is a certified Lominger Trainer, including the Leadership Architect Suite and is qualified as a Training-the-Trainer instructor in the areas of Change Management, Continuous Process Improvement, Project Management, Strategic Planning, Executive Coaching, and Communication Skills.

Marlene is highly skilled at clarifying business priorities and then building the internal capacity of the organization to achieve them. Past and present clients include Butternut Mountain Farm, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, the SymQuest Group, Rhino Foods, Vermont Tent Company and Copley Hospital.

Joyce joined Earth Turbines to help create the human resources infrastructure that supports and motivates the firm's original thinkers and energy innovators. She received her college education from Penn State University and began her career as the second employee of Autumn Harp, Inc. For nearly 30 years, Joyce held various senior management positions for the Vermont-based, socially responsible developer and manufacturer of skin care products, Autumn Harp. During her years at Autumn Harp, Joyce has held the positions of Controller, Human Resources Director, Operations Manager, and General Manager. Some highlights include: leading the transition from a paper and pencil general ledger to a computerized accounting system; developing the employee handbook; writing and implementing a compensation / bonus plan; participating in annual strategic planning; assisting in a complete reorganization / turnaround of the company; working closely with the owner on the sale of the business and helping the company through the transition of owners and cultures.

Karen Fleming also leads executive and management training programs for Mercy Connections and the University of Vermont Business Center and is the principal in a consulting practice focused on sustainable/green strategy and branding. Karen's teaching and consulting is strongly complemented by over 20 years of strategy, marketing, product development, entrepreneurship and research experience with leading traditional and non-traditional organizations. Karen's career includes such notable companies as Procter & Gamble, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Stonyfield Farm, Seventh Generation and the founding of two companies. Karen earned her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, and her MBA degree from the Harvard Business School.

He became president of STG in 1986 following the retirement of founder Steele Griswold. His company manufactured ready mix concrete, concrete block and pavers, pre-cast concrete, architectural pre-cast, and Sakrete. STG also does concrete forming and maintains its own fleet of concrete pumps. With their main office located in Williston, Vermont, STG delivers ready mix concrete from four locations throughout Northern and Central Vermont. Griswold Masonry Supply outlets are located in Rutland and Bennington, VT and Pittsfield, MA. STG was founded in 1957 and has 220 employees. In 2009, Doug sold his company to S.D> Ireland and now consults with area businesses.  He is a past board member of the National Ready Mix Concrete Association and a founding member of RMC 2000 which developed and implemented standards for the Concrete Industry. Locally, he was the President of the Discovery Museum for 8 years and has served on the Board of the United Way of Chittenden County and the Vermont Business Roundtable. He is currently the Board President of the Vermont Mozart Festival.

Under Kevin's leadership, the company grew to over $11 million in sales and 80 full-time employees. Kevin sold the company in 2001 to a local entrepreneur who has been successful at growing the business and adding employees. Since leaving Autumn Harp in 2003, Kevin has assisted small businesses with their development through the Peer to Peer Collaborative and one-on-one coaching / consulting. He is part owner of the Bristol Bakery and serves on the Board of the Vermont Community Foundation.

Eve has over 15 years of experience in business-to-business and direct-to-consumer fulfillment systems and business intelligence, most recently as VP of Business Intelligence at Resolution, Inc. She led a new Resolution team responsible for the launch of several web businesses, from site design and merchandising to all aspects of online marketing and web analytics. Eve is currently Client Sales Executive - Northeast Region, for the Clinical Solutions Group at Allscripts. Allscripts is the leading U.S. provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions that physicians and other healthcare professionals use to improve patient care. Eve is passionate about using business data to inform dynamic strategy and management decisions. She holds an undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Economics from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. for Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Debra Howard founded her consulting business in 1991. She’s been coaching managers and leaders since well before executive coaching became the gold standard for leadership development. She coaches three types of clients: 1) rising stars who have ambitious goals, but not yet the skills, knowledge, self-discipline, or patience with others to achieve them; 2) seasoned, successful executives who are starting to feel uninspired, underappreciated, unhealthy, and stuck, and 3) superstars who are derailing because they’re so intense and hard-charging that they’re having an unintentionally negative impact on others.

Some of her current for-profit and nonprofit clients are the Surdna Foundation (New York); the Wallace Center, Global Water Challenge, and Spitfire Strategies (D.C.); Powderhouse Productions (Boston); and NRG Systems (Vermont).   

Debra is certified in or has received specialized training for: the MBTI and MBTI Step II, FIRO-B, job competency assessment and competency-based behavioral interviewing, and Waterline Action Learning peer coaching facilitation.

Prior to 1991, she was a consultant with Cambria Consulting in Boston, a human resource consulting firm that conducted job competency assessments and training for Fortune 500 and government clients. Before that, she was the director of program development for Training Concepts in Braintree, Massachusetts, where she designed stand-alone training programs for telecommunications and high-technology companies in the Northeast. She graduated in 1981 with a BA in semiotics from Brown University and is currently writing a book, “How to Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For.” When she's not working or writing, Deb enjoys landscape photography, gardening, backcountry skiing, and hiking.

Her company produces all-natural, premium, and certified organic breads and muffins for supermarkets and natural product stores from Maine to North Carolina. Lisa is a graduate of a three-year Owner President Management Program at Harvard Business School and the Vermont Leadership Institute Class of 1995-96. Ms. Lorimer currently serves on the board of Union Institute and University (chair), The White House Project and Charter Baking Company. Her other board service has included Chittenden Bank, Vermont Community Foundation, The Snelling Center for Government, and the Women’s Crisis Center. Her book Dealing with the Tough Stuff: Practical Wisdom for Running a Values Driven Business is co-authored with Margot Fraser, the founder of Birkenstock USA.

After graduating from California State University, Fresno with a BA in 1972, he spent 12 years in New York publishing including management positions with Macmillan, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Longman and Pergamon Press. In 1979, he founded JT Mandeville Publishing Associates, Inc. and grew it into a very successful and well-respected consulting firm for which he was CEO/COO for 7 years. In 1986, John accepted an offer from one of his long term clients to be Vice President for Corporate Development for Krames Communications, Inc. in CA. Having successfully negotiated the acquisition of Krames by Grolier, Inc. in 1988, he went on to purchase the Central California Region of franchisor Decorating Den, Inc. In 1992, John joined Rug Doctor, L.P. as the executive in charge of their franchise division. A year later he moved into the position of Director of International Sales and in December 1993 was promoted to the Managing Director (COO) of the company's European subsidiary based in Worthing, England. In July 2000, John and his family returned to the U.S. and purposely chose to move to Vermont to take advantage of the quality of life.

She has a BA from Dartmouth College, and received post graduate training in finance and administration at St. Michael's College. In 2006 she completed the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth’s Executive Education summer intensive program. Linda has a strong commitment to issues of social and economic justice and has been involved in organizations with social change missions since the mid 1980's. Linda is the chair of the board of the Public Assets Institute. Her past community service includes six years each on the boards of the Samara Foundation of Vermont and the Vermont Community Loan Fund, two years team teaching in the Women's Small Business Program, and on-going involvement with Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.

The Continuum Group provides consulting, interim COO and general management services to business owners struggling with growth and underperformance issues. Prior work experience includes three years as the President of S.B. Electronics, Inc. (SBE) in Barre, where he was responsible for rapidly getting new product lines into niche markets as an offset against global competition which had begun to erode the company’s market share. This resulted in successfully positioning the company for sale to new ownership. While the VP of Operations for SBE, he helped position the company for growth by improving operations and developing new products and processes to broaden their customer base and reduce dependence on a dominant customer. From 1991-1996 he was the Vice President and General Manager for Revere Graphics Worldwide in MA, where he was responsible for the operations of this $21 million producer of photoengraving metals and chemicals. While at Revere he improved operations and developed innovative new products and manufacturing processes to achieve market leadership and independence from single supplier. From 1972 to 1991 he worked in varying leadership capacities for the Polaroid Corporation. He holds a BS in Industrial Technology from Northeastern University, a certificates from the Financial Management Program at the University of Virginia, and certificates from the Executive Development Program and the Technology and Development Program at Stanford University.

Victor's experience includes working as a Financial Operations Manager for IBM in Essex Junction; as the CFO for SkiTuner / Grindrite; as CFO/VP of Finance and Administration for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England; as CFO and later CEO of the Elan Ski and Snowboard Company; and as Operations Manager for Efficiency Vermont. He is an Adjunct Instructor in the MBA Program at Green Mountain College. Victor also works locally as a management consultant for small businesses specializing in people management. He has written the first draft of a book on management sharing his observations and experiences as a manager.

This group is now the largest human resources consulting business and the largest executive recruiting practice in Vermont. He was made a partner of the Firm in 2003. In addition to continuing to build the Firm’s practice in this area, Frank’s work with clients focuses on the areas of compensation, recruiting, and organizational development. Immediately prior to coming to GFC, Frank was the Principal of Sadowski Consulting Services in South Burlington, Vermont for seven years. Before that, he was Human Resource Manager for Boise Cascade’s paper mill in Sheldon Springs, Vermont; Assistant to the President of the University of Vermont; and Chief of Economic Development Planning in the Vermont State Government. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Cornell University, attended Harvard Divinity School as a Rockefeller Fellow, and earned a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Michigan.

He was President of the company from 1968-2001 and Board Chair from 1976-2006. Joining the company in 1963, he grew annual sales from $3 million to $50 million by 1978 via internal growth and acquisition which, by that time, included 3 large bakery supply manufacturing plants and warehouses, 23 over-the-road trucks and 3 labor unions. In 1980, Frank decided to liquidate everything except the King Arthur Flour business which he moved to Norwich, Vermont. With his wife Brinna and two other employees, they began to build a $5 million business into what is now a company of 200 employee-owners and $70 million in sales. An ESOP was created in 1996 and now at a 100 percent participation level - a major reason why the company is thriving!

Throughout Bill’s business career he has actively worked for nonprofits at the board level, beginning at 26 when he became the youngest trustee ever to serve as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Vermont Arts Council–– a post he repeated at 41. At 30, he joined the Board of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, and in 1984, he became Chairman of the Vermont Folklife Center. Bill has also chaired the Boards of Fletcher Allen Health Care, Vermont Public Radio, the Vermont Statehood Bicentennial Commission, The Vermont Board of Libraries, and the Vermont Business Roundtable where he also served on its Telecommunications & Information Technology Task Force.  He has been a member of and spoken at The Direct Marketing Association,  the American Video Duplication Association, which he co-founded, and Book Expo.  In addition, he has advised many non-profit and educational organizations on a variety of cultural and technical projects including the Governor’s Telecommunications Task Force, Vermont Public Radio, and  the National Endowment for the Arts.  He has taught courses at the University of Vermont in music, technology and business. He currently chairs the VT Legislature’s Blue Ribbon Tax Structure Commission and serves on the Legislature’s Farm-to-Plate Commission.

His career includes service at NYNEX (Verizon) in Maine and Vermont and for Resolution, Inc. in South Burlington. During his 28 years at Verizon/NYNEX, Dave's responsibilities included planning, budgeting, engineering, construction, operations, public relations and financial management. For seven years, Dave was Vice President – Order Networks, responsible for customer care, e-commerce strategy and operations, and telecommunications for Resolution, Inc., a South Burlington media services and fulfillment company. He is active in community and public affairs serving on the Commissioner of Corrections Advisory Board and chairing the Colchester Economic Development Advisory Council.

At PCC, he has been focusing on defining and implementing an organizational structure to accommodate the growth of this 25 year-old software company. Additionally Bill has been helping shape the strategic vision and plan for the future. Bill began his career with a short stint in banking and in 1984 moved to a small public accounting firm in the Northern Virginia area where he obtained his CPA license. Two years later, he moved to a consulting status with his firm and started his own accounting practice. In 1993, Bill and his family moved to Vermont and Bill began working at the National Gardening Association where he served as CFO/CTO until 2002.

Hired in 1992 as Vice President of Finance, Steve became Chief Operating Officer in 1998. Prior to King Arthur Flour, Steve worked for Benedetto, Gartland & Greene in New York, where he raised private equity for venture, LBO and alternative asset funds. During his tenure there, Steve also supported his wife in founding, and later selling, Robin's Homemade Breads of Greenwich, CT. He also consulted out of Zurich, Switzerland and Cleveland for McKinsey & Company. Steve is a graduate of the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, and Colgate University. Steve is Chair of The ESOP Association and is also on the boards of Newport Harbor Corp., King Arthur Flour, and the New England Mail Order Association. Steve has been active in Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility having recently stepped down as a Board member and is a member of the Vermont Business Roundtable.

He is a senior executive with strategic vision, drive and leadership and highly skilled in business and financial management, sales and marketing, and telecommunication technologies. Dr. Whalen first joined Hill Associates in 1984 and served in various technical position as well as other corporate functions. He was the Chief Financial Officer from 1984 to 1992, leading the corporate accounting, finance, and human resource functions. From 1990 to 1992, he served as the President and CEO. From 1992 to 1996, he spent much of his time teaching and establishing the company’s first sales and marketing organization as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. From 1996 to 2002, he served as the Director of Planning and was instrumental in the formulation of the company’s long-range plans. Dr. Whalen was appointed President and CEO for the second time in 2002. Paul is a registered Professional Engineer in Vermont. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the Vermont Society of Professional Engineers.